The Apocrypha

Dor said:
However, they were not included in the Hebrew canon (ratified c.A.D. 100).
I'd just like to state that his was the same cannon that rejected all NT books and the same meeting that decided on this also expelled Christians from the synagogues.
 
JJM said:
I'd just like to state that his was the same cannon that rejected all NT books and the same meeting that decided on this also expelled Christians from the synagogues.
Yes but any religion that uses the bible in any sense of the word knows that the jewish canon for the most part is what all forms of the Old Testament is based on the only difference is the Catholics used a Greek translation that added to them. And of course they rejected the NT books they do not believe Christ was the messiah that is why different religions have different canons.
 
After reading these posts one thing stands out, and that is that man put those books together and made decisions, not GOD. Now before you want to kill me Bandit let me say that this doesn't mean I don't think the Bible is inspired by God. I do, but I also believe that other books were also inspired by God. And some of these books aren't found in the Bible, some were removed.

Bandit, no offence but you can't argue this matter objectively, you stamp off and say I don't want to play anymore when someone makes a point that you can't rebut. And when you do rebut it isn't much of a rebuttal.

Whether or not the books were written BC or AD doesn't matter. My point is that they were put in the original Bibles and then removed and this whole thing started when you said" nobody is going to take my books" If you can't acknowledge that books were put in and removed by man then what can you ackowledge. You choose not to see this. Personally I'm ok with it, beleive what you want. I am just trying to make a point. Also I believe in Jesus Christ and the power evoked by the mention of his name. Just because I can admit that man took some liberties doesn't negate that. It doesn't have to for you either.
 
Bandit, no offence but you can't argue this matter objectively, you stamp off and say I don't want to play anymore when someone makes a point that you can't rebut. And when you do rebut it isn't much of a rebuttal.
I am not going to kill you. (well maybe if you dont stop putting peanut butter off my fingers)
those books had dates wrong, places and people backwards that could never have been at the same time. I think there is about 50 big errors in those books total.

that is because i do not care about this end of it. been down it enough times to know there is no resolve and it only brings in the same old arguments and divides the protestants from the orthodox instead of bringing them together. i say believe whatever you want to believe. all the books are there. my interest is in knowing what the bible says, not arguing the history of it and who wanted them in and who wants them out and what God did and what man did with them. there is nothing left to rebut that has not already been rebuTTed millions of times. debating this stuff is a big yawn for me.

scholars think this scholars think that. it is futile

make your own bible with whatever books you want in it. add the entire web and call it the didymus bible version:)
dont forget to add all the NT Apocrypha too. I know where this is headed with you and that is why I am not interested.

I wont be adding any more to it, so indulge.

later
 
Dor said:
Yes but any religion that uses the bible in any sense of the word knows that the jewish canon for the most part is what all forms of the Old Testament is based on the only difference is the Catholics used a Greek translation that added to them. And of course they rejected the NT books they do not believe Christ was the messiah that is why different religions have different canons.
I realize this my point was that before the council of Jamnia there was no standard Jewish Cannon so The cannon used by the Jews at the time of Jesus especially those outside of The Holy Land contained these books. The cannons of Jewish believers were different from sect to sect during Jesus’s time. The Sadducees only used the first five books. the Pharisees used the deuterocanon very often and copies of these books have been found with the dead sea scrolls so the Essenes used them. So just because the Jews formalized their cannon after Christ died doesn't make one bit of difference for Christians especially when the people who did this also directly said Christianity was wrong. Also Jesus Quotes these books. Which gives them more credit
 
didymus said:
After reading these posts one thing stands out, and that is that man put those books together and made decisions, not GOD.
And this is why Sola Scriptora is illogical because without some sort of Tradition you can't know what books are in the bible.
 
dear didymus

Just found my notes from the TV programme that was on at Christmas

'Who wrote the bible" good programme if you missed it.

The first english from later version was done by Whitcliff

1604 Tindall did the Hebrew and Greek and added his own verses like 'salt of the earth'

54 scholars worked on the King James Version 1611

and Paul wrote most of the NT.

www.Chanel4.com/believe

I think there was another thread on this on the forum.

being love

kim xx
 
oh and they strangled and burnt Tindall on the stake
it was illegal to own a bible in those apparently.
 
Ok I give in... The Bible has been corrupted and altered and God had nothing to do with it...not. :rolleyes: You can all decide what you want and read what you want etc. I will personally stick with the 66 books I have. I have read all the Apocrypha and all the Pseudepigrapha and it does not come across as inspired to me. Not only that they have decidedly anti biblical teachings and numerous mistakes. But you all read and take what you want from what ever. If you prefer a book that teaches woman dont deserve to live and go to heaven go for it, If you want to believe people like that Bishop Spong and all the other Bible bashers that spring out of the woodwork thats fine. I have my 66 books which I still learn stuff from daily and Jesus and thats all I need.

God Bless you all.
 
Dor said:
Ok I give in... The Bible has been corrupted and altered and God had nothing to do with it...not. :rolleyes: You can all decide what you want and read what you want etc. I will personally stick with the 66 books I have. I have read all the Apocrypha and all the Pseudepigrapha and it does not come across as inspired to me. Not only that they have decidedly anti biblical teachings and numerous mistakes. But you all read and take what you want from what ever. If you prefer a book that teaches woman dont deserve to live and go to heaven go for it, If you want to believe people like that Bishop Spong and all the other Bible bashers that spring out of the woodwork thats fine. I have my 66 books which I still learn stuff from daily and Jesus and thats all I need.

God Bless you all.

May I ask why you choose those 66 books? I'll agree with you the Pseudepigrapha (as you call them) are a little out there but the only reason I think that they aren't part of the bible is because the Church says so. Is your only reason because you don't like what the other books say or how they are written? If that’s the case is it really that big of a jump for someone else to say the same thing about the cannon and revert back to the Pseudepigrapha because they like them better? I mean once you throw away the institution that decided on the list books it's all the more logical to throw out the list of books as well.
 
I'm glad someone sees what I am saying, I'm only trying to point out that those that decided on which books to put in originally decided to include what is now the apocrypha, this is all i wanted people to acknowledge. I am not saying that the 66 books aren't legitimate, I'm just saying let's face it that men put them there and not God. God inspired those that wrote them otherwise why would thay have written them in the first place? I wouldn't write about God if God didn' inspire me or move me in some way. In my view any thought or contemplation of God and an attempt to express it is God inspired. This is why I enjoy the Bible, it is filled with spiritual mysteries and interpretations. But I can still recognize where man stuck his grubby little paw in the process.
 
didymus said:
The Holy Bible is considered by many to be the infallible word of God. Anything found outside of it is not of God if it doesn't concur with it. What about the Apocrypha that was and I believe still is a part of the Roman Catholic Bible? I brought this up on another thread but noone addressed it. So I'll put it here so that noone will miss it.

The books in this apocrypha were taken away sometime after 1611. I know this because King James translation translated these books. Now they must have been considered to be the word of God at one point to have gotten in there in the first place. I'm guessing that something was found in those books or that there was a dramatic shift in belief that occured for them to be removed. I don't know the answer so that is why I asked.

The process you're talking about is Sola Scriptura, which is a uniquely reformist idealogy - ie, it's not a Roman Catholic view, it's a Protestant only view.

The Catholic view, so far as I understand it, is that to understand scripture requires some form of authority, and only the Roman Catholic Church can take the place of that authority.

As the Reformation was as much about removing Papal control from Christianity, so the control of the church over scripture needed removing - thus the idea that scripture alone was all that was necessary was formulated.

As the Wikipedia entry on Sola Scriptura states:

"Instead of tradition being the interpreter of Scripture, sola scriptura makes Scripture the interpreter of tradition."

As mentioned before, Luther tried to keep in line with what Judaism had already long decided was inspired scripture from the pre-Christian texts.
 
JJM said:
May I ask why you choose those 66 books? I'll agree with you the Pseudepigrapha (as you call them) are a little out there but the only reason I think that they aren't part of the bible is because the Church says so. Is your only reason because you don't like what the other books say or how they are written? If that’s the case is it really that big of a jump for someone else to say the same thing about the cannon and revert back to the Pseudepigrapha because they like them better? I mean once you throw away the institution that decided on the list books it's all the more logical to throw out the list of books as well.
Very easily I stick with the 66 books because thats what I have and always have had. I have read them all though. I will stick with the OT the way it is for simple fact is if I have to choose(personally) I will stick with the Jewish on OT they were dealing with it a lot longer than the Catholics were. As for the Pseudepigrapha it has nothing to do with if I like it or the way it was written (there is stuff I dont like in the 66 but I have to take what I dont like with the stuff I do), It is all about what it says and if it has decidely different from the bible I read it with a grain of salt.

As for God inspiring people to write books while this is true is it not possible for people to be inspired by other things to write falsely about something. And also is it not possible for God to inspire people about what books to include, or did he suddenly develop limitations to what he can do??
 
We are to test the spirits if anything contradicts the teachings in the bible its not the Word of God which is the Truth..Its simple to our point of view.. Dor was reading me some horrible things from the gospel of thomas and I see why its not considered Spirit inspired.
 
The "Law of Moses" –v- the "Law of Christ" which are both said to govern the kingdom. The "Old Law" only condemned the outward actions. but the "New Law" introduced by Jesus condemned the inner conditions which lead to the outer actions.

The Gospel of Thomas were the words that came out of the mouth of Jesus which is different to the words received from the Spirit of Jesus by Paul for instance. The GT mentions the word 'happiness' more then any other gospel in these teachings Jesus is teaching how people can achieve that happiness. Many of the sayings can also be found repeated in Apocrypha if one spends the time to investigate and research. A few are also repeated in the bible.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus talks about attaining wholeness which is the foundation of the work that people within the field of healing and complementary medicine are assisting others to achieve. Sickness as we know can be mind, body and/or soul for they are interrelated in consciousness. This quote is featured in Matthew, Mark and Luke so the impact of the teaching must have left a mark of great importance for it to be included in these bible texts.

Jesus said ‘They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meanth" (Mt 9:12)

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus attempts to take the seeker to classic spiritual truth of finding the happiness within, for he knew that happiness was not outside of the self. He begins by talking about poverty of spirit which is also referred to as a blindness, darkness or drunkenness. The aim is to come to know one’s own inner Self and move the soul energy to the heart centre and a state of God's grace, attaining wholeness and realising perfection. Preparing the whole being for the final consummation of oneness and communion with GOD. The Gospel of Thomas provides wonderful insights on the importance of finding the happiness within through self mastery. The word ‘happy’ is used extensively in this teaching so Jesus was doing his utmost to share with others how one could achieve his level of consciousness and state of being.


"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes...." Luke 12:37

Blessings in abundance

Kim xxx
 
For instance, Thomas 17 conveys the same sentiment that 1 Corinthians 2:9 does: "I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart." Also, the kind of saying about the importance of properly understanding revelation expressed in Thomas 5:1 can likewise be found in John 1:12,1:14, 3:1-21, 8:19.

www.gospels.net/other/patterson.html
 
It also says:

"These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded. " So only to select few, rather elitist.
14 Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give to charity, you will harm your spirits. Contradicts a large portion of the bible.
62 Jesus said, "I disclose my mysteries to those [who are worthy] of [my] mysteries. Seems rather elitist here.
49 Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again." Again rather elitist which also contradicts the Bible.
55 Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be my disciple, and whoever does not hate brothers and sisters, and carry the cross as I do, will not be worthy of me." Goes against the teaching in the bible ie the 10 commandments for one and your own love everything and everyone SS.
and many other things I wont even go into.

There is a great temptation that is difficult not to give in to today to "beat up" on anything that is traditional read: establishment, including the Church and with the use of the Gospel of Thomas and other writings. Some find great satisfaction in kicking a sacred cow in its exposed rear in this way. The Gospel of Thomas feeds directly into our need to step out of the oppressive nature of current social, intellectual, religious and cultural formality that leaves one's soul unsatisfied and frustrated. It is because that work contains two elements that go well together. On the one hand, it contains snippets of the sayings of Christ as recorded in the four Orthodox Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. On the other hand, it intersperses these with gnostic sayings that tend to be contradicting that teaching. In fact, the author of the Gospel of Thomas could not have foreseen the popular of his creation all those hundreds of years ago when he first put pen to parchment. His purpose was simple. He wanted to get people to read gnostic teachings by dressing them up with Christian sayings. This was an old trick by many sects and cults that wanted to get some kind of legitimacy. Arguments about the Church "messing around" with the "original" doctrine of Christ are things that have been hurled at the Church by every conceivable sect and cult since time immemorial. There is no proof for any of them and they are all contradicted in any event by Christ Himself Who warned us about false doctrines and teachings that were to come after Him.

The Gospel of Thomas is false for one further and most important reason. The Christ it tries to portray is simply a false Christ. It was St Thomas the Apostle who asked to see the wounds of Christ as proof positive of the reality of Christ Identity and Resurrection. And he was right. Whenever someone, or some book, wants to present Christ to us, let us ask to see the hands and feet of that "Christ." If there are no marks of the nails, then we know that it isn't our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ! As one Saint said, when we get to Heaven, Christ will put His Hands on us and we will see those wounds that won our salvation for us.

taken in part from an article by Dr. Alexander Roman alex@unicorne.org
 
pfft.. SS, you could find spiritual wisdom in a Betty Crocker cookbook :)

Dor has been reading the gnostic gospels and has been telling me things that I know Jesus would never have said.. supported or condoned.

For instance in the gospel of thomas

Simon Peter said to them "Make Mary leave us for females dont deserve life."

Jesus said "Look, I will guide her to make her male so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven..

O.........k...... yeah thats real Mary is in heaven and shes a guy. Whatever. Is he going to make you a male too? Biblical transexuality.

Jesus of the Gospels never spoke of making the female into the male — no doubt because Jesus did not perceive the female to be inferior to the male. Going against social customs, He gathered women followers, and revealed to an outcast Samaritan woman that He was the Messiah — which scandalized His own disciples (John 4:1-39). The Gospels also record women as the first witnesses to Jesus' resurrection (Matt. 28:1-10) — and this in a society where women were not considered qualified to be legal witnesses.


I think its a bit silly to link sites that attempt to show parallels to the the books in the bible.. They arent going to list the complete heresy of them.. Keep your gnostic gospels and dont try to promote them to me because I reject them with every ounce of my being.

Oh yeah this is good too.. Some book called secret gospel of mark

It says "after six days Jesus told him what to do and in the evening the youth came to him wearing a linen cloth over his naked body and he remained with him that night for Jesus taught him the mysteries of the kingdom of god and thence arising he returned the other side of the jordan.

LOL now Jesus is a pedophile and a bisexual because he was also copulating with Mary... Please. It also said that some gnostic sects practiced this.

This is such trash..
 
Dear Dor

If you complete your investigations and view the link I provided with an open heart and the holy spirit you may realise that these teachings were written way before the gospels written by Paul in fact evern prior to Christianity being formalised. Some of your other quotes I have addressed on the false prophets thread.

Dear FF

Faithfulservant said:
Simon Peter said to them "Make Mary leave us for females dont deserve life." Jesus said "Look, I will guide her to make her male so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven..O.........k...... yeah thats real Mary is in heaven and shes a guy. Whatever. Is he going to make you a male too? Biblical transexuality.

First Jesus was being a bit tongue in cheek with the apostles that were jealous of Mary but you also have to have an understanding of how consciousness is risen and works. I do this professionally so I understand the meaning of his words and works. Both feminine and masculine energies are balanced/aligned and this determines the value of the third resulting in completion of atonement.

Jesus said ‘When you make the two One, and you make the inner like the outer, and the outer like the inner, and the above as the below, so that you make the male and female into a single one, in order that the male is not male nor the female made female: when you make your eyes into an eye, and a hand into a hand, and even an image into image, then you shall enter the kingdom’ 22.

Through healing the inner soul of consciousness and the physical reality we are able to raise our consciousness to a higher state of being, in making the two one, we align both our feminine and masculine energies, through self mastery we are able to surrender to our soul and allow it to guide our human self to wholeness and completion, once again the two become one. When this is accomplished you are ready to merge your soul with the spirit within, and in doing so you can become ONE with GOD. You wake up and your vision changes and you can see beauty in all things, your hand of action moves differently to achieve your reason for being and ultimately your image of yourself and the world that you experience becomes a Kingdom of Love and peace.

“When you strip yourselves of your shame, and take your garments and put them under your feet even as little children, and you trample them; then you shall behold the Son of Him who is living, and you shall not fear”37 “I tell my mysteries to those that are worthy of my mysteries” 62 “He who finds himself, of him the ( rest of the) world is not worthy”111.

"Do you not see that in that region alone where he sees beauty with the faculty of seeing it, will he be able to bring forth nor mere reflected images of goodness but true goodness, because he will be in contact not with reflection but with the truth? And having brought forth and nurtured true goodness he will have the privilege of being beloved by GOD, and becoming, if ever man can, immortal himself' Plato

Love beyond measure

Kim xxx
 
Jesus knew that once people had reached atonement and reconcilation with GOD they would realise as Paul states in the bible that they are Christs. And once this is achieved there is no need for prayer for you are the creators working hand in hand with GOD. You realise the power of your own manifestation to create miracles with your own intent.

Which also confirms what is written in the bible when Jesus says 'you can all do this even better then I'

Jesus was teaching people to take their power back, the power given by GOD to be creators and divine love on the earth plane, which is why we were made in GOD's image.

GOD wishes humans to realise their power use it for the will-to-good, by taking responsibility for what we co-create.

Well that is more then enough from me I must get on with other things.

May peace be with you

Kim xxx
 
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